"The Mulching Mind"

Here a Mulch, There a Mulch, Everywhere a Mulch, Mulch

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Mulch can consist of a variety of materials, and by definition, it does a number of things. First and foremost, it’s a protective cover placed over the soil to retain moisture. Mulch also helps to reduce erosion, suppress weed germination and growth, and provide nutrients to the soil as it decays.

Got all that?

In simpler terms, mulch is whatever you put down to protect plant roots. Mulch can be made of many things. There’s rubber mulch, made from shredded tires. Plastic sheeting acts as mulch. Even landscaping rock and gravel can serve as mulch. But at the top of the mulch heap are the environmentally friendly bark mulch and pine straw.

Bark mulch retains moisture longer than most other mulches, but decays quicker. So it’s good for returning lots of nutrients to the soil in the short term, and will save you some watering. For cities with water restrictions, bark mulch or wood chips are the way to go. Wood mulches also help to keep plant roots cool. Temperatures in the south and western states can be scorching. So while you’re trying not to break a sweat, mulching your outdoor plants will cool them off, too.

Pine needles or pine straw, as it’s called in the south, are commonly used as mulch in parts of the country where long-needle pine trees are prevalent. Pine straw also retains moisture which means a lower water bill. Also, a layer of pine straw about 3 to 4 inches thick can practically eliminate the growth of weeds—Bonus!

What other materials have you used or seen used for mulch?